Coach Carlamae and Coach Kimela’s Advanced 10 Mile Training Program Presented by ASICS

Overview: Thanks to the support of ASICS, the ten-week Credit Union Cherry Blossom 10 Mile Advanced Training Program is designed for serious runners who average at least of 20-25 miles per week and who do a weekly long run. The Advanced Training Program calls for running 5-7 days per week with two speed workouts each week. The daily workouts will be described in terms of ranges to allow for each runner to modify the schedule based on the runner’s current level of training. This week should be a continuation of your existing training in terms of weekly mileage. There are two speed sessions (hills and fartlek) and a long run of 8-12 miles.

Join Our Facebook Group: Share your training experience: Join our 10 Mile Intermediate/Advanced Virtual Training Facebook group, where you can interact with fellow runners.

January 27 – February 2, 2025

Monday, January 27, 2025

• • Distance:   4-6 miles
  • Goal:    Easy conversational running 75-90 seconds slower than your current 10K race pace or at 60-70% of maximum heart rate using the Karvonen formula. (“Google” Karvonen to find your training zones). Send an email to Coach Carlamae and Coach Kimela at coach@cherryblossom.org if you have questions about your heart rate training zones.
  • Tip:     Check your running shoes to make sure they are not excessively worn. If you need new shoes visit Potomac River Running, our official retail partner. They have the latest running shoes and apparel from ASICS, our official shoe and apparel sponsor, and their staff can assist you in getting the right shoe.

Tuesday, January 28, 2025

• • Distance:   4-6 miles
  • Goal:     Include 6 hill repeats
  • Tip:        Run at least an easy one-mile warm up before starting the hills. Find a moderate hill approximately 200-400 meters long. Try to surge up the hill keeping your arms relaxed. Jog down the hill and repeat. If running the workout on a treadmill, adjust the treadmill to 2.5 or 3.0 for the uphill portion and 0 for the downhill. After completing the workout, run at least a one-mile cool down.

Wednesday, January 29, 2025

• • Distance:    4-6 miles
  • Goal:      Easy recovery day
  • Tip:         Today is an easy recovery day (60-70% Max Heart Rate), which allows your body to repair itself from yesterday’s hard workout. It is also an optional day off. If you are used to cross-training activities (lifting, cycling, yoga), you may want to use cross training today as a substitute for the recovery run as long as the workout is not a hard effort.

Thursday, January 30, 2025

• • Distance:     5-7 miles
  • Goal:      Fartlek run
  • Tip:         First warm up for a mile and then do a 1-2-3-4-5-6 fartlek run as follows:  Pick up the pace to around your 10K race pace (not a sprint) for one minute, jog one minute, pick up the pace for two minutes, jog one minute, pick up the pace for three minutes, jog one minute, etc., until you work up to six minutes. Cool down for at least one mile. An intense spinning class can be a substitute for this workout.

Friday, January 31, 2025

• • Goal:     Rest Day/optional easy run of 3-6 miles
  • Tip:        Rest days are an important part of a training schedule to help your body recover and allow you to be fresh for your long run and speed days. If you run 6-7 days, do an easy run of 3-5 miles. You may want to use the rest day to do moderate upper body weight work. Upper body strength can aid your running form and increase muscle strength to help you maintain your race pace for 10 miles.

Saturday, February 1, 2025

• • Distance:    5-7 miles
  • Goal:    Easy run
  • Tip:       You may be feeling stiff and sore after these first few days if you have increased your distance or intensity during this first week of the program. Don’t be alarmed. That is a normal feeling that should go away in a few days. Keep the run at 60-70% effort.

Sunday, February 2, 2025

• • Distance:   8-12 miles (60-70% effort)
  • Goal:   Weekly long run
  • Tip:     The long run is one of the key elements in this training program. It will build the endurance needed to run the Credit Union Cherry Blossom. Long runs should be run at an easy, conversational effort at 60-70% Max Heart Rate or 90 seconds slower than 10K race pace. To maximize your training runs, stay hydrated.  Consider training with the same drink that will be served on race day by drinking Gatorade Endurance Formula, the Official Sports Fuel Provider of the Cherry Blossom Ten Mile. For more information about Gatorade Endurance Formula, click here.

• For training and content questions, contact coach@cherryblossom.org 
• Questions on the race? Visit www.cherryblossom.org
• Want to change to a different Coach Carlamae and Coach Kimela 10 Mile program? To change programs, send an email to vtswitch@cherryblossom.org requesting removal from this program and specifying which program you want to be added to.